88 m. ago Taiwan ‘vampire’ coach ‘forced’ students to give blood for academic credits

A scandal in Taiwan involving a university women’s football coach accused of forcing students to donate blood in exchange for their required academic credits has sparked widespread outrage online. The revelation came to light when a student, surnamed Jian, from the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), went public with the accusation. Jian said that students had been coerced by their coach, Zhou Tai-ying, 61, a prominent figure in the island’s football, to participate in excessive...

Events

1 hour ago Mainland Chinese talent children and their struggles to settle in Hong Kong

Twelve-year-old Sofia Teng Yiru was always among the top three in class at her hometown in Wuhan in mainland China before she moved to Hong Kong in March last year. She came with her father, Aaron Teng, 42, who had succeeded in applying for the city’s top talent admission scheme and started his own company in online advertising. Previously at an international school where lessons were taught in English and Mandarin, Sofia was admitted to Primary Five at Kowloon Women’s Welfare Club Li Ping...

Politics

4 h. ago US House committee chair warns Panama about Chinese influence over Panama Canal

The head of a US congressional committee on Thursday, warned Panama over Chinese influence on the Panama Canal, following reports that leading Chinese state-owned conglomerates are bidding for port concessions there now for sale by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings. In his letter to Minister of Maritime Affairs and Administrator of the Panama Maritime Authority Luis Roquebert, Representative John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, expressed...

Events

4 h. ago Brazil triples rare earth exports to China, a ripple from US

Brazil’s rare earth exports to China tripled in the first half of 2025 just as Chinese imports surged to a record high, fuelling concerns that Beijing-Washington trade tensions may be quietlyreroutingg the world’s supply chains through emerging economies. The figures are part of a report released on Thursday by the China-Brazil Business Council (CBBC) that shows Brazil’s exports to China fell 7.5 per cent compared to the same period last year, reaching US$47.7 billion. Imports from China rose 22...

Politics

11 h. ago Chen Feng, founder of Chinese conglomerate HNA, sentenced to 12 years in prison

Chen Feng, a founder of the defunct Chinese conglomerate HNA Group, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and is subject to a penalty of 221 million yuan (US$30.8 million), nearly four years after he was detained by police. The 72-year-old businessman was charged with harming the interests of a listed company, fraudulently obtaining loans and a breach of duty through misappropriation, according to a court document. The government said 40 million yuan in personal assets were ordered to be...

Events

12 h. ago ‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition to open in Beijing’s National Museum on July 30

‘Art of the Kingdom’ exhibition to open in Beijing’s National Museum on July 30  Saudi Gazette

Politics

13 h. ago Why a fling with a foreigner insults China’s “national dignity”

Why a fling with a foreigner insults China’s “national dignity”  The Economist

Politics

13 h. ago Starmer’s statesmanship abroad no substitute for vision at home in Britain

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Britain is a nation in slow drift, outwardly composed but inwardly unravelling. His resolute backing of Ukraine and vocal commitment to European security have restored a measure of Britain’s standing on the world stage. However, this diplomatic poise conceals a glaring domestic void. Behind the polished speeches and choreographed handshakes lies a country buckling under stagnation. Its economic pulse is weakening, its public services are fraying and its faith in...

Politics

14 h. ago China's job market preps for impact as record graduate wave approaches

Despite an easing of China’s youth unemployment rate in June, the country is steeling itself for a challenging job-hunting season as a record number of fresh graduates prepares to enter the labour market. The urban jobless rate for those aged 16 to 24, excluding students, dipped to 14.5 per cent last month – more than one in seven people – from 14.9 per cent in May, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday. While this marked the fourth consecutive month...

Politics

14 h. ago Chinese actor Yu Shi wins 2 medals at national horseback archery competition

Chinese actor Yu Shi, known for his roles in blockbuster fantasy epics, has taken method acting to a new level by claiming two medals at a national horseback archery competition on Wednesday. Yu, who rose to fame after starring in the 2023 film Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, won bronze in the single mounted and gold in the team event with his group from Shenzhen. The National Horseback Archery Elite Competition is a traditional sporting event that has deep roots in the region’s...

Politics

14 h. ago What’s the real cost of ‘rice is life’ for Filipinos’ health?

“Rice is life” is a common expression in the Philippines, but researchers are now saying that Filipinos eat too much of it and their love for the grain may cause health problems later on in life. Rice makes up 50 per cent of a typical Filipino meal, according to a 2023 National Nutrition Survey. That is far too much for a balanced diet, says a researcher from the Department of Science and Technology’s food and nutrition research institute. Dr Eva Goyena, a senior research specialist from the...

Politics

15 h. ago Everything you need to know about this year’s Hong Kong DSE examinations

We have selected eight stories from our coverage of Hong Kong’s Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) examinations. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Feels like magic’: Hong Kong’s DSE top scorers revel in results – as it happened 2. Hong Kong’s DSE stars praise power of AI, eye local medical degrees 3. Hong Kong DSE 14 years in: best subjects, worst performers and top schools 4. ‘Less stressful’: why mainland Chinese pupils choose Hong Kong’s DSE...

Politics

15 h. ago Meituan executive bemoans ‘irrational’ price war with Alibaba, JD.com

A Meituan executive said the company had no choice but to join the latest round of what he called “irrational competition” against rivals JD.com and Alibaba Group Holding in China’s instant delivery sector, even though the blizzard of discounts being offered to woo buyers had become disconnected from business fundamentals. “We didn’t want to take part in [the price war], as we don’t think it makes sense,” Wang Puzhong, head of Beijing-based Meituan’s core local commerce business, said in an...

Events

16 h. ago China editor slams school for ousting woman for casual sex, wants man treated same

A former editor in China has called for gender-neutral punishment and criticised a university for expelling a woman who had casual sex with a man. The backlash follows the expulsion of a 21-year-old Chinese student, surnamed Li, after her alleged sexual involvement with a Ukrainian gamer. Li reportedly had a one-night stand with a 37-year-old Ukrainian ex-Counter-Strike player, Danylo Teslenko, known as “Zeus”, while he was in Shanghai for an event last December. Teslenko shared their intimate...

Culture

17 h. ago Maersk downplays hit from US port fees as doubts swirl over anti

When the United States unveiled plans to charge hefty fees to any China-built or operated ship entering an American port earlier this year, the shipping industry appeared to face a stark choice: cut Chinese vessels out of their fleets or see their costs soar. But months ahead of the charges coming into force, the global shipping giant Maersk insists that it will be able to avoid making that decision, casting further doubt over the US’ ability to curtail the dominance of China’s...

Events

18 h. ago ChinaAMC launches first tokenised yuan fund amid Hong Kong stablecoin push

ChinaAMC (HK), the Hong Kong arm of Chinese fund house China Asset Management, launched the world’s first yuan-denominated tokenised fund on Thursday, aligning with the city’s regulatory framework for stablecoins, which is expected to stimulate demand for digital assets. While a yuan stablecoin is currently unavailable, mainland Chinese officials have softened their stance on digital currencies and the broader digital asset space. With Hong Kong’s stablecoin ordinance taking effect from August...

Politics

18 h. ago Chinese police investigating 5 missing teens warn of telecoms crime risk

Chinese police are investigating at least five cases of missing teenagers believed to have been caught up in scam centres, including some who have lost contact with their families after travelling to Myanmar. Police in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province in central China, issued a notice on Wednesday, confirming the disappearance of an 18-year-old high school student who had travelled to a city in Yunnan, a southwestern province on the border with Myanmar. According to his parents, the student...

Events

19 h. ago Hong Kong 47: court expected to rule on appeals in 9 months’ time

A Hong Kong appellate court is expected to rule in nine months’ time on appeals arising from the city’s largest national security trial, as lawyers wrapped up their verbal submissions on Thursday after 3½ days of hearings. Legal counsel urged three Court of Appeal judges to impose lighter sentences on 11 appellants for what the trial court found to be their “active participation” in a subversive scheme to “undermine, destroy or overthrow” the government. Prosecutors opposed the applications by...

Events

20 h. ago Chinese woman is disabled in car crash, lover disappears after pledging support

The boyfriend of a Chinese woman has shocked social media by abandoning her just three months after she was made paraplegic in a car accident for which he was primarily responsible. On April 5, the woman, surnamed Bai, 25, was travelling with her boyfriend, surnamed Zhang, and members of his family near a reservoir in Gansu province, northwestern China. Zhang was at the wheel and Bai was the front-seat passenger. Tragedy struck when Zhang reportedly became distracted while making a right turn,...

Events

20 h. ago Wahaha heiress’ inheritance battle puts Chinese family firms in spotlight

Kelly Zong Fuli, chairwoman and CEO of mainland China’s largest soft-drinks producer Hangzhou Wahaha Group, is embroiled in a wealth-inheritance dispute that has prompted questions about the sustainability of the country’s family businesses. The daughter of late founder Zong Qinghou is facing two lawsuits as three plaintiffs, claiming to be her half-brothers and half-sister, seek to prevent her from dealing with assets worth about US$2 billion. The feud surfaced just a year after the heiress won...

Events